The present invention is directed to a method as well as to an apparatus for automatically cleaning at least one cooking chamber of a cooking device upon utilization of a fluid.
For example, DE 198 38 864, corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/763,505 incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method for cleaning a cooking chamber as well as an apparatus employed for this purpose, whereby at least one spray nozzle can be arranged in the cooking chamber, and in addition to a rotational movement with up to three degrees of rotational freedom, can also be moved around a pivot point, so that an optimum spraying of the complete cooking chamber as well as rails or the like potentially arranged therein can occur. The spray nozzle is to be connected to a traditional water main such as a household water supply system upon interposition of a back-absorption prevention unit. In addition, connections between the spray nozzle and one or more containers for a cleaning agent, a rinse agent and/or a decalcification agent can be provided upon interposition of a respective valve. This leads to a high use of water, cleaning agent, decalcification agent and/or rinsing agent, which is disadvantageous due to limited resources worldwide.
On the other hand, it is known from the field of automatic dishwashing devices to recirculate rinse water, i.e. to at least partially re-employ it.
Controlling cooking processes upon utilization of specific sensor mechanisms has established itself in the meantime. Even intelligent cooking process sensors have already been developed, see DE 199 45 021, corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/664,465 incorporated herein by reference.
An object of the invention is to develop a method or apparatus such that the disadvantages of the prior art are overcome, particularly in that the consumption of water, cleaning agent, decalcification unit, rinse agent and/or the like is reduced.
According to a method of the invention the fluid is selected from a first fluid comprising cleaning agent, rinse agent, decalcification agent, water and/or the like, and/or is composed of a second fluid that is acquired from the third fluid running out from the cooking chamber during cleaning on the basis of at least partial cleaning thereof.
It is thereby preferably provided that the fluid is selected dependent on acquired cooking chamber properties such as how dirty the cooking chamber is, material of the cooking chamber, temperature in the cooking chamber, degree of movement of the atmosphere in the cooking chamber and/or the like, dependent on cooking device operating conditions such as operating mode, operating time, type of material to be cooked, weight of material to be cooked, the frequency with which the cooking chamber door is opened and/or the like, and/or dependent on characteristics of the first, second and/or third fluids such as degree of contamination, hardness and/or the like.
The object directed to the apparatus is achieved according to the invention by at least one spray head to which a first fluid such as cleaning agent, rinse agent, decalcification agent, water and/or the like can be supplied via a line system from at least one first reservoir and/or to which a second fluid can be supplied from a processing unit connected to a discharge conduit of the cooking chamber and comprising at least one second reservoir, a cleaning unit as well as a pump unit.
It can thereby be provided that the cleaning unit for acquiring the second fluid from the third fluid emerging from the cooking chamber during cleaning via the discharge conduit comprises a separating unit in the form of a filter system or the like.
It is also provided according to the invention that the second fluid can be intermediately stored in the second reservoir, and that the processing unit comprises a discharge to a third reservoir or the like for a fourth fluid, whereby the fourth fluid together with the second fluid represents the third fluid, and the fourth fluid comprises a greater degree of contamination compared to the second fluid.
It can also be provided according to the invention that the first and/or second fluid can be supplied in controllable or regulatable fashion via the pump unit, preferably via a respectively controllable or regulatable valve.
Embodiments are preferred according to the invention that are characterized in that the processing unit has a sensor unit, and the sensor unit outputs data for controlling or regulating, in particular, the pump unit, the valve or the valves, a blower, a heating unit and/or a display.
It can thereby be provided that the sensor unit acquires cooking chamber properties such as how dirty the cooking chamber is, material of the cooking chamber, temperature in the cooking chamber, degree of motion of the atmosphere in the cooking chamber and/or the like, acquires cooking device operating conditions such as operating mode, operating time, type of material to be cooked, weight of material to be cooked, frequency with which the cooking chamber door is opened and/or the like, and/or acquires characteristics of the first, second, third and/or fourth fluid such as degree of contamination, hardness and/or the like.
It is also provided according to the invention that the sensor unit acquires the degree of contamination via optical characteristics, conductances, smells and/or pH values.
The invention also provides that the sensor unit acquires the filling level of the first, second and/or third reservoir.
In a development of the invention the spray head is movable and the movement of the spray head can be acquired, controlled and/or regulated via the sensor unit.
Finally, it is provided also with the invention that the sensor unit is integrated in a cooking process sensor or is connectible thereto.
The invention is thus based on the surprising perception that considerable resources can be saved when, instead of the previous direct connections to water mains as well as storage containers for cleaning agent, rinse agent, decalcification agent and/or the like, and cleaning water that flows off, is at least partially re-employed. It is thereby particularly preferred when highly contaminated dirty water is directly discharged, whereas less highly contaminated dirty water is resupplied to the cleaning circulation. The control of the cleaning circulation should thereby preferably automatically occur with the invention via a specific sensor mechanism.
The term xe2x80x9cfluidxe2x80x9d also covers particles entrained by a fluid medium, and crumbs or the like that, in particular contribute to the contamination of the fluid.
Further features and advantages of the invention derive from the following description wherein an exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in detail on the basis of schematic drawings.